Improvement in door-checks



A. E. HOTOHKISS.

' Door-Check.

WM) Q N. PETERS, FHOTO-UTHOGMFHER. WASHINGTON. D. C.

Aarnuanfnoronniss, or:.cnesriaapeymcncw.

IMPROVE'M ENT lfN DOOR-CHECKS.

I Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 211,660, dated January 28, 1879 application filed panying drawing, which forms a part of this specification.

This invention relates to that class of doorcheeks which, after checking the door, exert power to close it.

The nature of said invention consists in the combination of a balance or fly wheel with a spring-bar attached to a door and a lever, said lever being arranged to engage with said spring-bar, and to be operated also by said balance or fly wheel for the final closing of the door.

The accompanying drawing represents a perspective view of my door checking and closing devices, the door having been checked, and being now approximated to a closed position. I

In said drawing, m designates a door; I), the door-casing of the same, and a the frame of my door-check, secured to said casing above said door.

To the side of said door, near its upper free corner, I attach an upright flat spring, a, the upper part of which is bent at 0 and formed into a vertical cylindrical rod, 1), extending above said door.

In frame a is secured a vertical pillar or pivot-pin, e, on which a horizontal lever, G, is pivoted. Around said pillar e is wound a spring, 1*, the lower end of which is attached to said lever C, and which operates to hold outward the longer end of lever O at an angle of about forty-five degrees with the door-cas ing. The long outer arm of this lever is constructed with a terminal longitudinal slot, 1, which gives it a bifurcated shape. The inner tine or finger, q, of the fork thus formed is made longer than the outer one, and the arrangement of the above devices is such that the rod 19 may readily engage with the said finger q when the door is turned on its hinges for shutting.

The other end of lever O is broadened and October 16, 1876.

formed into a segmental gear, d, which meshes with a pinion, g, on a pillar or pivot-pin, c, in frame a. Pillar 0 also carries gear-wheel f, which turns with pinion g and meshes with pinion h on small shaft t. This shaft i also carries balance or fly wheel j.

The operation of the above devices is as follows When the rod 19 comes in contact with finger q, the door is checkediby the resistance offered by the inertia of the balance-wheel and the friction of the gears d g f h, thus preventing slamming. As this resistance yields rod p passes inward toward the inner end of slot Z, as shown in the drawing, this motion being caused by the difference in the radius of the curves described by said rod 19 and by said finger q when turned pivotally, the one on the door-hinges, the other on pillar c.

The pressure thus applied to finger q causes segment-gear d to turn from right to left. Said gear (I then causes pinion g and gearwheel f to turn from left to right. Gear-wheel fin like manner causes pinion h and balance wheel j to turn from right to left. The chief resistance encountered is from the inertia of balance-wheelj; but this is overcome by the pressure of the rod 1) against finger q, and it has two effects: First, it checks said door; and, secondly, as the motion of said dooris thereby slackened, the momentum of the wheel, by that time in rotation, operates to give the door a fresh impulse, closing it-that is, the wheel j, still turning from right to left with pinion 71, will cause gear-wheel f and pinion g to continue to turnfrom left to right, and pinion g, transmitting this power, will cause segment 61 to continue turning from right to left, so that the outer finger, q, of lever G will be pressed against the outside of rod 0, closing the door. Thus the balance-wheel j simply performs the ordinary duty of a fly-wheel, that of utilizing the power employed in overcoming its inertia on first starting by applying the same to operate the machine after the impulse has wholly or partly subsided.

Balance-wheelj is not permanently attached to shaft 2', but is pressed firmly against pinion h by spring is, causing it to turn with said pinion. In case of accidental extraordinary resistance, said spring will yield so as to allow said balance-wheel to turn freely on said shaft, thus avoiding all injury to the devices.

Spring n prevents any injury from resulting from the sudden shock of rod 1) against lever O, as it will yield considerably in an outward direction; but as soon as the resistance of the balanoe-wheelj is overcome, said spring at resumes its normal position against the face of the door, so that finger g, by pressing against the rod, as stated, instantly operates the door to close it.

When the door is thrown open spring "r throws lever O outward into its normal position, at an angle of about forty-five degrees with the door-casing.

The gearing and arrangements of parts may be considerably varied without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- In combination with a spring-rod attached to a door, a lever, balance-wheel, or its equivalent, and connecting-gears, whereby the balance-wheel, after checking, operates to close the door.

ARTHUR E. HOTGHKISS. Witnesses:

GEORGE L. Hocronxrss, VERNON LAITY. 

